Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago- July 17, 2008

A few local wheat producers have dipped their toes into the 2008 harvest this week, and harvest start-ups within the next week or so are likely to be delayed by the effects of the cool spring the region experienced. Start ups will likely be “a little later due to the cool spring” says J. E. McCaw, manager of the local branch of Northwest Grain Growers. Mc Caw expects “full swing” to be going late next week. “It’s about a week behind normal”, he said. Grain harvest in the Whetstone area started Monday with Jack Miller, Mc Caw said, and three producers in the Prescott are. Sam Grant, Allen Ford and Perry Dozier are delivering grain.

Photo Caption: Gathering to honor newly inducted Postmaster Caroline Wendt was Terry Ferguson, Prescott Postmaster: Caroline Wendt, Waitsburg Postmaster, Sherri Martin, retired Postmaster from Burbank, Loren Jensen, Dayton Postmaster: Sandra Cook, manager of Post Office Operations-Spokane District, retired Waitsburg Postmaster Ivan Keve, and retired Waitsburg Postmaster Don Maiuri.

Twenty-Five Years Ago-July 8, 1993

Make tracks for the Depot is the theme of the 11 annual Dayton Chamber of CommerceFestival Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17th. This year’s festival features more than a dozen public events and two dozen special events for alumni, with classes dating back to the 1940’s.

A 33 year old Dayton man faces car theft charges after he apparently forgot to check the gasoline gauge of the pickup truck he allegedly stole. Columbia County Sheriff Jim LaTour reports that deputies recovered the truck Monday about three miles west of Dayton on Highway 12. The truck was abandoned right where the thief ran out of gas.

The Columbia County Commissioners learned this week that an estate has left $64000 for a proposed new center for seniors in Dayton. Commissioner Jon McFarland said, “We need to than Ed Zimmerman for his generosity.”

Fifty Years Ago-July 11, 1968

The Mac McKinney family entertained the Tom Bakers, Bob Sickles, Gerald Maibs, Roy Leids, and Lyle Huwes for a potluck supper and fireworks display on the Fourth.

Each year on our Agronomy Day we try to bring you a story on new things to think about in the production of wheat. This year at the Cereal Plots those present saw the latest in new varieties of wheat and barley. To top the day, they saw first hand what the highly paper regarded triticalies would do in Columbia County. The wheats and barleys looked most promising. However, most everyone present could not say the same for the 2 varieties of tritacalies. Another new look in research on where is the best place to put phosphorus. Should it be with the seed, under the seed, or should it be in between the dried rows.

Seventy-Five Years Ago-July 16, 1943

With the Bozeman Canning Co going into its fifth week of operations at the Waitsburg plant it is expected that the company will pack until Aug 10 with good weather conditions prevailing.

The city council met Wednesday evening and made the plans to move the fire truck into the new city fire department which was formerly the Hale Building purchased by the City several months ago from the First National Bank

Mr. Guy T. McLaughlin, the manager of the U.S. Employment office in Walla Walla was in Waitsburg and Dayton Sunday making final arrangements for the release of about 120 soldiers from the Dayton cmp to work in the Waitsburg and Dayton canneries. Both canneries are short of manpower.

One Hundred Years Ago- July 19, 1918

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Price and family left Wednesday to camp for several days upon Dry Creek. Mrs. Minnick, Mrs. Price’s mother has been camping there for some time. The Prices expect to go into camp with her.

The city has a force of local men relaying 1000 feet of 6 inch wood stone pipe on Preston Avenue. The old wood pipe, which was thought to be leaking badly, is being replaced with wood pipe with iron collars. With new pipe over time distance of gravelly soil, it is thought the worst leaks in the system will be stopped.

Mr. Frank Pendleton Mills and Miss Lorena Mae Corrie, both of this city, were quietly married Saturday, July 13th at 8 o’clock.

The Waitsburg Patriotic League is again this season taking up the matter of keeping the loss from fires down to a minimum in this locality.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 21, 1893

An interesting game of baseball was played at Colville Springs Sunday between the “niggu wools” and Prescotts “second nine”. The score at the close stood 3to 36 in favor of Prescott.

A Mikkelsen secured the contract for carrying the mails between the post office and depots in this city at $170 a year.

Quite a sprinkling of Waitsburg’s handsome young people spent Saturday night and Sunday in the Blue Mountains. They report bushels of fun.

G. W. Loundagin, James and Alvin Loundagin, J. V. Crawford, Mrs. George Brown, Misses Minnie Laundagin, Hattie Morrell, Jennie Loundagin, Lillie Hollowell, and Cora Loundagin attended the reception at the Christian Church in Walla Walla last Tuesday evening. They all report a fine time.